


Are You Afraid of the Dark?

by NeuroWriter14



Series: NW14 Does Halloween [14]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Do not repost, Haunted Houses, M/M, No Magic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27090169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeuroWriter14/pseuds/NeuroWriter14
Summary: Harry has a crush on the new student who happens to be Tom Riddle.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Series: NW14 Does Halloween [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946689
Comments: 21
Kudos: 214
Collections: Enabled and Approved at the Wholesome Place, Harry Potter





	Are You Afraid of the Dark?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ellionne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellionne/gifts).



> For [Elli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellionne/pseuds/Ellionne)

Harry stood with his friends, waiting in line for the haunted house. He hadn't initially wanted to come, but Tom batted his eyelash and Harry couldn't say no. Harry had known Tom for about a year, a transfer from another high school, but he was hopelessly in love with him. Tom was a year older than Harry and about to graduate once this school year was over. He had dark blue eyes that entranced Harry from the moment they first spoke. He also had high cheekbones, carefully organized chestnut hair with a lone curl over his forehead, and a wicked smile. He wasn't quite sure how he and Harry met, probably through Hermione who took advanced courses and was on track to graduate earlier than either Harry or their other friend Ron. 

They had gathered a group to go to the haunted house. Halloween was right around the corner and everyone was feeling festive. Some of the classrooms had decorations, with one teacher keeping a hat in the room adoring their computer. Harry hadn't wanted to come, but Tom smiled at him and asked him politely and he couldn't refuse. There was Ron, Hermione, him, Tom, Neville, Ron's little sister Ginny, her friend Luna, Seamus, and Dean. Eight in total. They waited in the long line outside the house, listening to screams echo from within and watching people leave with large grins on their faces.

The cool fall air sunk into his bones as he waited outside, their group shuffling forward inch by inch. He could smell the distinct smell of the fog as they waited. The others chatted around them about nothing in particular. Tom stood at Harry's side, his eyes scanning the crowd before they returned to Harry. It took everything in him not blush at the other's attention.

"How many of you are there?" One of the ticket takers asked when they reached the front of the line.

"Nine," Hermione answered. 

"We only do five at a time." She said, sounding tired. 

"We'll split in half. I'm in whatever group Harry's in." Tom said. 

The first four to enter were Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Tom. They walked into the darkness and Harry's eyes immediately tried to adjust. For a moment, it was nothing but blackness around them as the four of them shuffled closer. They had grabbed onto to one another at some point, moving in a line. Harry was out front with Tom directly behind him. The other's finger was looped through one of the belt loops of his jeans. Immediately behind Tom was Hermione who grasped his wrist with one hand and Ron's behind her. Harry shuffled forward in the claustrophobic hallway.

A scream echoed from somewhere nearby and Harry's nerves were immediately on high alert.

"AAAAAAUGH!" One of the workers yelled, running up to them with a fake chain saw in hand. 

He heard a yelp, which easily could have been him as the worker ran by them, fake blood spewed over white overalls and a manic grin on their faces. He took a deep breath and moved forward. 

They entered a room that looked like a church. Fog clung to the ground and fake bodies were stacked on pews, limbs in various places.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" A worker yelled, sitting upright the coffin at the head of the room.

Her long hair was matted, blood was dripping from her mouth, and she wore fake contacts that made her eyes light up in the blacklight behind her. 

Tom's hand moved from Harry's belt to his wrist. 

They continued, Harry's heart hammering in his chest waiting for the next scare. It didn't take long for someone to jump out of the dark spot next to him in the hall. He didn't even know there wasn't a wall there. Harry practically jumped backward into Tom when he noticed one of the workers following them. His heart was pounding his ears and his mouth fell into a wide grin. 

A clown popped out, slamming against a plexiglass barrier as they rounded the corner. Something swung in front of them, which Harry could swear was an ax. They continued. 

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Another yelled right as they rounded the corner.

The man was right in Harry's face, his eyes wild and his hair standing on end. The man traipsed back into the room he came from, moving to what looked like a lab bench and lifting up potions that bubbled. There was someone strapped to the table, screaming and shaking at every moment. They followed the path, moving through the plastic dividers seen at meatpacking plants.

Another worker screamed at them, a machete held high, running in front of Harry to reach another person. The knife appeared to vanish into their body while the other worker scream. Harry yelped in response, his nerves feeling frayed. They continued forward, Hermione muttering somewhere behind him. But he was more focused on the ever-tightening grip of Tom. 

Another worker popped out, screaming bloody murder, and Tom's hand slipped from his wrist to his hand. 

Harry wasn't certain he could be afraid anymore. His heart was in his throat as the other's fingers locked with his. They continued forward, seeing body parts strewn all over. Screams and animal noises echoed. Someone ran in front of him, looking more like an animal than man.

Finally, they reached what he assumed to be the end. His heart was in his throat, seeing the darkness in front of him. Something would pop out, he just knew it. After taking a breath, he moved forward, entering the dark. The others were pulled along behind him. It was a surprisingly tight squeeze to make it through the door until they were in a tight spot. There was nothing for a heartbeat, and then two. 

They were pressed tightly together and Harry could see no way out in front of them. After a moment, a laugh echoed through the room and all their heads turned to follow it.

A bright light flashed with an image that made Harry react mostly on instinct. They all jumped, and Tom practically landed in Harry's arms. Hermione and Ron were clinging to one another and then the light shut off once more.

Harry blinked into the blinding darkness and behind him, a door opened.

He followed it through, coming into a relatively calm room considering what they had just been through. Harry blinked, letting his eyes adjust to see a woman standing behind a counter. She grinned at them as they walked into the room. She was dressed in a relatively normal costume with only a dress and a crown.

"Would you like your picture?" She asked and suddenly the monitors behind her lit up with a million copies of the same image.

Harry's face was mostly blank, not showing any reaction to the terror in front of him. Hermione had a death grip on Ron who's mouth was open in a perpetual scream. And Tom was clinging to Harry, his whole body practically wrapped around him. 

"Yes," Harry answered. It was the best thing he had ever seen in his life. 

"You're not really going to keep that are you?" Tom groaned from next to him. 

"Of course," Harry answered cheekily, a wide grin on his face. "I'm going to frame it and keep it forever." 

The woman took his cash in exchange for the printout. Moments later, the others exited the haunted house and into the room. Ginny's eyes were blown wide, she and Luna locked together. Neville looked pale and Dean and Seamus looked a strange combination of frazzled and excited. They waited to see the other's pictures and it was equally as hilarious. Neville had tried to run from the room, only to be caught by Luna who would forever be pulling at his shirt. Ginny was plastered against the wall, her mouth open in a half giggle, half scream. Seamus had jumped bodily into Dean's arms with the other boy screaming loudly.

Ginny ended up buying the picture.

The nine of them walked outside, chattering and mumbling to each other.

Harry fell back in step with Tom. "I couldn't help but notice your death grip," He began lightly. "Are you afraid of the dark, Tom?" 

"No," The other answered. "I was afraid of losing you in the dark."

Harry's face immediately warmed as he smiled in response. 

The other stepped forward, a playful look in his eyes before he lunged, trying to grab the picture from Harry's hand. Harry moved it away, grinning widely as the other lunged again. The next time Tom lunged, it wasn't for the picture. He grasped Harry's face between his hands, kissing him harshly. There were whistles somewhere behind them and someone yelled finally as Harry sunk into the kiss, equally excited and embarrassed.

"Been wanting to do that," Tom muttered as he pulled away.

Harry grinned. "You're still not getting the picture." 

"Too late," Tom grinned in return. "I have you, don't I?"

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come yell at me on [Tumblr](https://neurowriter14.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NWriter14)


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